Bhairahawa Gladiators set the Everest Premier League (EPL) Qualifier clash with Paras Khadka’s Biratnagar Warriors following a four-wicket victory over bottom side Chitwan Tigers in their last league game at the TU Stadium on Tuesday.

Gladiators finished second in the six-team event with eight points from four wins in five matches set re-set the clash against Warriors, who beat them by 35 runs at the league stage. The winners of the Qualifier will reach the final and the losing side will have another shot at earning a berth to the final as they play the victors of the Eliminator match, also scheduled for Wednesday.

In what turned out to be a rehearsal for the Eliminator game, Lalitpur Patriots edged Pokhara Rhinos by six wickets to officially qualify for the playoffs. With both sides all but making it to the playoffs, Rhinos rode on a half century from Sunil Dhamala to reach 132-5 in 20 overs. Patriots almost threw away a solid start before their skipper Gyanendra Malla held nerves to hand the team a victory in the last ball of the match.

Following the result Patriots finished the league in third after they were tied on points with Rhinos. Patriots had a solid start when their openers Jaykishan Kolsawala and Shankar Rana began with an 84-run partnership inside 13 overs. But Rhinos hit back picking up four wickets and took the match to the last over where Patriots needed seven runs for victory.

But Malla settled the nerves hitting a six off the last ball from Sushan Bhari as Patriots reached 138-4 in 20 overs. Malla made 27 off 17 with a six and a four. Man-of-the-match Kolsawala top scored with 56 off 45 with four boundaries and three sixes while Rana chipped in 35 off 39 ball with five boundaries. Malla’s side began the tournament as one of the favourites but are left with a big task when they meet Rhinos on Wednesday.

“We are not faring well in terms for finishing the game. Today was pretty close and its good to end up on the winning side. But we have to make sure that we don’t waste such a good start in matches ahead,” said Malla.

Rhinos were reduced to 26-2 in the sixth over before Dhamala and Rajesh Pulami Magar pushed the team to a respectable total with a 66-run third wicket stand. Magar was out for a run-a-ball 32 after hitting two fours and a six, while Dhamala carried the bat with a 62-ball 70. He hit five sixes and two fours.

Warriors are the only unbeaten side in the tournament having beaten Gladiators by 35 runs in the league game. Gladiators skipper Sharad Vesawkar was hardly concerned after his team replied with 88-6 from 18.3 overs in chase of Tigers’ 87-9. “We did lose some wickets but we were always comfortable,” said Vesawkar without putting much thought on Wednesday’s Qualifier.

“We just need to play well. We don’t want to think much about our game against Warriors because over-thinking will give us nothing,” added the captain who gave chance to his untested lower middle order against Rhinos.

Gladiators were 22-3 and their Indian recruit Puneet Mehra along with Rohit Kumar Paudel took the team close with a 46-run stand. Gladiators did lose both the set batsmen but the match was already within their grasp. Mehra scored 30 off 29 balls with three boundaries and Paudel scored 20 off 40 with two fours.

Earlier, it was Vesawkar who began the attack with the new ball and kept Tigers under pressure. The man-of-the-match took 3-12 from four overs. Dipendra Singh Airee and Yogendra Singh Karki were their top scorers with 15 runs each.